Rebirth of Heart
by SatinFox
Summary: A new entity emerges, who will shake up everything...and make some things whole...bleh...I suck at summaries...just go read the story, trust me!


**Disclaimer:** I don't own anybody or anything here. 'Cept Ciara…course, if anybody wants to sell Axel, Riku, Demyx….Riku…I'm buying :D

**Dedication: **For Anne…who will beat me with a Keyblade if I don't finish now. o.o;;

**Phase 1 – Broadening Horizons**

_Dear Diary,_

_Nobody believes me, and maybe they're all right. Maybe it was just all a dream. That's what my mind tells me. My heart though – my heart tells me it was real. I've learned to listen to my heart._

_He taught me that._

_It started, I guess, with the man in black…_

Ciara woke with a start. Her bedroom was pitch-black, and for a moment, she thought that was what had woken her. Then she heard the breathing – slow and measured, it sounded unsettlingly close.

"Tabitha?" Ciara asked, fighting to keep calm.

Silence answered her.

"Tabi, not funny." Ciara could feel her heart pounding in her chest. The dark seemed to close in around her, and Ciara ached for a light to break the smothering black.

A sudden inspiration struck her, and Ciara groped on her bedside table, her hand finally closing around the cool metal of her iPod. She swung it upwards, hitting a button, and turning on the device. Instantly, cool light flooded the room. It illuminated the many posters, trinkets – and the intruder.

"You're – not Tabi," Ciara choked, her throat going dry.

The man standing beside the bed smiled coldly, his face barely visible under his black hood. "No, indeed."

Ciara lay frozen with terror as a black-gloved hand reached toward her. Then a resounding crack filled the air, and Ciara felt herself yanked backwards, then falling into blackness…

It had been a long time since Axel had eaten ice cream. He sat on a low wall, slurping at the icy bar, watching the moon and thinking. He didn't know what he was doing here – it didn't seem like anybody really wanted him to do much of anything. He had suddenly found himself standing in the middle of Radiant Garden earlier that afternoon, his last memory the fight in Between, his sacrifice to aid the Keybearer, Sora. He had found himself wishing whole-heartedly that Sora had made it through okay, which was odd – especially since he shouldn't have even had a heart to wish with. Granted, he also shouldn't have been alive, so Axel had decided just not to ask. He had wandered around the town for a while, almost hoping someone would explain things to him. When the sun went down, he had decided he wanted something to eat, and had eventually picked up the ice cream. He wasn't a particular fan of the flavor – Sea Salt just didn't seem right – but he wasn't feeling picky today.

Finally finishing his treat, Axel hopped off the wall, intending to make his way to some quiet corner and doze the night away, as he hadn't seen anyplace else to sleep. As he weaved his way through the late-night shoppers and partiers, a sudden movement caught Axel's eye. He half-turned, peering down into a darkened alley. It took a moment to recognize the figure, sprawled on the jointed stones. Axel frowned, then shrugged, and turned away. It wasn't his business, and he wasn't about to go all Samaritan. Save that for the ones with hearts.

He got about three steps in before turning around.

Muttering curses under his breath, Axel weaved his way through to the stranger. It turned out to be a woman, lying unconscious on the stones in a strange outfit. Kneeling down beside her, Axel shook the woman gently. "Hey, wake up."

The woman groaned, her eyes fluttering open. "AhhWhodawhanahuna?"

Axel slid a hand under her back, easing her into a sitting position. She sagged slightly against him, letting out another groan, her eyes falling shut again. "What happened?"

"That's what I was about to ask you," Axel replied dryly. "You got a name?"

"Ciara." She shook her head slightly, then suddenly stiffened, her eyes flying open. She looked wildly around her. "Wait. Where am I?"

Axel blinked. "Radiant Garden," he said slowly, wondering what kind of a mess he'd gotten himself into.

Ciara blinked. "What?" She shook her head before Axel could respond. "No, I can't be. Radiant Garden isn't a real town."

Axel groaned under his breath. "Listen, sister. I'm gonna get you to somebody, and then I'm going." He stood, hoisting Ciara to her feet. "C'mon."

Ciara followed him unsteadily for a few steps, then suddenly froze. Axel turned around to tell her to keep moving, but his words died on his lips.

Ciara was staring at the marketplace, her eyes wide with wonder and fear. "This really is Radiant Garden," she whispered. "I've – I've been sent to another world." She stared for a moment – then slumped forward in a faint.

Axel caught her, barely, his reflexes acting before his brain did. '_First time instinct hasn't gotten me into trouble'_ he thought dryly to himself, scooping the unconscious Ciara into his arms. He turned, surveying the marketplace desperately, feeling more helpless than he ever remembered feeling.

Then he saw the inn, tucked into a quiet corner. In fact, it was right near the place he'd bought the ice cream. Cursing under his breath, Axel shifted his still out-like-a-light charge in his arms, and set out across the square.

Ciara opened her eyes to sunlight. It streamed through the window, dancing upon the unfamiliar bedspread, caressing Ciara's face with its warmth. Slowly, Ciara let her mind absorb the events of the night before, trying to put the pieces together. She had come to another world, a world that had only existed in fantasy, but was apparently real. Ciara didn't know why she had come here, or who had sent her. She was positive that it hadn't been the man in black – the rage on his face as she had been yanked away was still burned into her memory.

After a moment, Ciara became aware that she wasn't alone in the room. She turned her head slowly, watched as a stranger read a book in a nearby chair, his feet resting comfortably on a table.

"Where am I?" she finally asked, wincing slightly as the other jumped and cursed.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to startle you."

The stranger took a few deep breaths, running a hand through his amazingly red spikes of hair, then offered up a lopsided grin. "Scared? Who me?" he asked weakly, clutching at his heart.

Ciara giggled. "What was I thinking?" she replied. "You're the guy who helped me last night, right?"

The stranger nodded. "Name's Axel."

Ciara found herself staring. "Axel." She repeated faintly. "Okay, now this is getting kinda freaky."

Axel frowned. "Lemme guess. I'm not real either?" He thought about this for a moment. "Wait…that's not quite right…"

Ciara let another giggle escape. "In my world, you and Radiant Garden are part of a story."

Axel raised an eyebrow. "I'm in a story?" he asked, confused. "Who'd tell stories about me?" He groaned. "Wait, lemme guess. Organization Thirteen, right?"

Ciara nodded, smiling. "You're part of Organization Thirteen, but you're sort of the anti-hero good guy of the story."

"How so?"

"You keep fighting Sora because he's sorta – half – of your friend Roxas, but in the end, you end up sacrificing your life to save Sora so that he can go find his friend Kairi and destroy the Organization." Ciara recited. "Well, that's the short form version, anyway. I dunno how true it is."

"Creepily so, actually," Axel replied, staring. Nobody had been with him and Sora during that last fight. How did somebody know the story that well? "Who told this story?"

Ciara shrugged. "I dunno. There was a whole group of people that worked on it."

"That was helpful, thanks." Axel sighed. "Okay, let me try something else. If you're from a world where this is all fantasy, then how did you get to Radiant Garden?"

Ciara shuddered. "I don't know," she admitted. "I woke up in the middle of the night, and there was this guy in a long, hooded black coat standing beside my bed. He went to grab me, but I somehow managed to get yanked away by somebody else, I think. Next thing I remember, you were shaking me awake here."

"Long, hooded, black coat. Sounds almost like a member of Organization XIII," Axel mulled this over. "Why would they want you?"

"No idea." Ciara shrugged, then threw back her covers, standing up unsteadily on the cool wooden floor. "My main question is – what do I do now?"

"Change your clothes?" Axel asked.

Ciara stared at Axel for a moment, then looked down. She was still wearing her pyjamas. "Uh, yeah…I guess that would be a good idea." She frowned. "Problem is, I don't have any – uh – munny, right?"

"Munny. And I've got tonnes." Axel frowned thoughtfully. "Don't know how or why I have it, but I do. I'll buy you a new set of clothes. And breakfast," he added, as Ciara's stomach rumbled loudly.

Ciara smiled. "Thank you. I'll find a way to pay you back, I promise."

"Uh huh. Let's go." Axel lead the way to a nearby clothing shop, watching Ciara take in the city with wide eyes. He found himself smiling, truly smiling, for the first time since – well, he couldn't even remember the last time. As the pair walked into the shop, Axel noticed Ciara eyeing the outfit in the window. She caught his eye for a moment, then quickly looked away, a flush spreading over her cheeks. Quickly locating what was probably the cheapest outfit in the store, Ciara held it up. "This?"

Axel eyed the outfit. It was bulky, raggy, and the colour of moss. "Not a chance I'd be seen with you in that thing. And since I think I'm stuck with you for a while…" He called over the salesperson. "Outfit in the window in a size to suit her, please." The salesperson nodded with an enthusiasm that indicated that Axel had probably just picked the most expensive item, and hurried to get the requested clothing. Axel ushered Ciara into a fitting room, ignoring her protests, and waited while she changed. After a couple of minutes, Ciara emerged from the dressing room, her face as bright red as the top she was wearing. "What do you think?"

Axel nodded his approval. "Nice."

After paying an almost obscene amount of munny for the clothes, Axel led Ciara to a small Café for breakfast.

They ate silently for a few minutes. Finally, Ciara spoke. "Can I ask you a weird and possibly insulting question?"

"Insult away," came the wry reply.

"If you don't have a heart, how can you have a friend?"

Axel blinked. "What?" he asked blankly.

"Well," Ciara said thoughtfully. "Roxas was your best friend, right? You really liked him. Isn't 'like' a form of 'love', and don't you need a heart for that?"

Axel opened his mouth to protest, possibly sarcastically – and then snapped it shut again. "Uhh…" He had to admit, the girl had a point. A very powerful point. "But – but – I'm a Nobody. Nobodies don't have hearts."

"Maybe you're remaking it? Or regaining it?" Ciara suggested.

"Maybe…" Axel admitted.

"Or, maybe you didn't entirely lose it in the first place. Maybe your heart was strong enough to stay a little with you, or you had something to keep it in place a little," Ciara continued, her words tumbling over one another in a rush.

Axel held up his hand. "Woah, slow down. Way too many theories there. 'Sides, having a little bit of a heart isn't the same as having a whole one."

Ciara nodded. "I know, but – well, isn't it possible that you could take that little bit of heart and build on it?"

"Uhh…."

"Or, maybe you already started with Roxas. Maybe that's why you fought so hard to try and save him, and then Sora. You really should consider it."

Axel spent the next few moments staring at Ciara, painfully aware that his jaw had dropped drastically. Oblivious to this, Ciara took another bite of breakfast. Axel took a deep breath, unconsciously placing a hand over his heart. He looked over the people in the marketplace, not really seeing them, his mind racing through possibilities. Was it true? Could he really build up a heart again, make himself whole? Could he?

A movement in the corner of his eye brought Axel back to the present. He frowned, looking at the shadow of a nearby building. "What the - ?"

"What is it?" Ciara asked, following his gaze.

"I thought – no….can't be…." Axel continued to stare for a moment, then stood. He had to check it out, had to make sure that the movement hadn't been what he thought. He strode over to the shadow, almost ran there. For one blissful moment, he saw nothing but shadow.

And then the Heartless emerged from the wall.

Axel had his chakrams in his hand almost before even thinking. "Dammit."

"Wha-? Yikes!"

Axel turned, to find Ciara standing a few feet behind him, staring at her outstretched hand. Axel opened his mouth to tell her to get away

– then froze as a Keyblade materialized in her palm.

Eyes wide, heart pounding in her chest, Ciara slowly closed her hand around the cool metal of the Keyblade. It felt strangely light, and Ciara swung it in a slow circle, relishing the sound of the blade rushing through the air. Time seemed to slow, and a voice whispered in the air around her….

…._dont be afraid…_

…_You have the strength within you…_

_ …surrender your heart…_

_ …to the light…_

Ciara suddenly realized that Axel was in danger. She watched as the Heartless pounced on him, ignoring the chakrams completely, reaching for Axel's heart…

"No!" Ciara swung out with the Keyblade, instinct guiding her. Her aim struck true, and the Heartless disappeared into a puff of darkness. "Axel?" She dropped to the ground beside Axel. "Are you hurt?"

"Only my pride." Axel groaned, and sat up, staring at the Keyblade. "Why didn't ya tell me you had a Keyblade?"

"Because until about 30 seconds ago, I didn't?" Ciara retorted.

"Good answer." Axel rose, dropping his chakrams, which vanished into flames. "Good swing, too."

Ciara also rose, grinning. "It was, wasn't it?"

"I love how modest you are." Axel said, shaking his head and grinning.

"Yup." Ciara's grin widened. It kind of reminded Axel of Demyx…'cept Axel didn't feel like charbroiling Ciara. He chuckled, then turned –

-and ran straight into a dark-haired man. With a sword. Shaped like a gun.

"Leon, right?" Axel glared. "You want something?"

Leon answered Axel's glare with one of his own. "You and the girl are to come to Merlin's. Now. And I'm going to go with you, just to make sure you go."

"Her name's Ciara," Axel snarled. "And you're not making us go anywhere."

"Axel, please…" Ciara said softly. "Don't fight."

Axel managed to ignore her for all of about three seconds before backing down. He probably would have lasted longer, he figured, if he hadn't been sure she was staring at him, pleading with those unnaturally blue eyes.

"Fine. Merlin's. Whatever." He crossed his arms, giving Leon his most scorching stare. "If this is a trap or something, you'll be the first I thank."

Leon stared at him for a moment, his face unreadable, and then nodded curtly. "You have my word of honour that neither of you will come to harm." He spun around on his heel. "Follow me."

Axel groaned under his breath, and fell into step behind Leon, Ciara keeping pace beside him.

"Y'know," Ciara commented softly after a moment, "you don't need to fight everyone you meet."

"Your point?"

Ciara sighed, and Axel glanced over. Guilt instantly washed over him at the sight of her hurt expression. _'Here's an emotion I could have done without,'_ he thought. Aloud, he said, "I'm sorry, it's just – it's been a long time since I've met someone who didn't want to fight _me_."

"It's okay." Ciara smiled. "I'll make you a deal, okay? You tell me when I _should_ fight, and I'll tell you when you shouldn't."

Axel laughed. "Deal."

"We're here." Leon pulled open the door, then stood aside for Axel and Ciara to enter.

Axel stepped inside, then paused to let his eyes adjust to the sudden shade.

"Woah…" he heard Ciara whisper from behind. "Merlin."

"Yes, indeed. And you must be Ciara. A pleasure!"

Suddenly, the surprisingly agile wizard was shaking a dazed-looking Ciara's hand.

Axel barely had time to smother a grin before Merlin had turned to him. "And Axel! Wonderful! Yen Sid will be pleased to know you made it safely.

Axel blinked in surprise. "Who?"

"Yen Sid is a very powerful sorcerer," Merlin explained. "He is the one that returned you from the Underworld."

Axel blinked again, momentarily speechless, then stammered, "He – what – Why?"

Merlin shook his head. "I'm afraid that all I can say is that you were returned to regain yourself, and to protect again those you gave your heart for."

"Which means what, in plain English?" Axel demanded.

"You'll understand after tomorrow, I think." Merlin smiled. "Both of you will."

Axel and Ciara exchanged looks. "Oh, did you save me?" Ciara asked Merlin.

Merlin shook his head again. "No, it must have been Yen Sid. He has been keeping an eye on you for quite some time, to ensure your continued protection."

"Continued protection? Continued protection from what?" Ciara was starting to get irritated. "Do you have to make everything so vague?"

Merlin smiled, ignoring the growl that escaped from Ciara's lips. "My dear, if I were to try and explain everything outright, I'm afraid you wouldn't believe me." He clapped his hands. "Now then, I have a mission for you both today. It should keep your minds occupied, and give Miss Ciara some practice wielding her Keyblades."

He walked to the door, apparently oblivious to the icy glares both Axel and Ciara were giving him. "Follow me, if you will."

They followed the wizard through the town, into the ruins of the old castle.

"You think anybody'd miss him?" Ciara asked, eyeing Merlin with narrow eyes.

"Sadly, yes," Axel replied. "And I'm not keen on fighting Leon. He's got friends, and the ninja just might be a match for me."

"Damn." Ciara snorted, then asked. "By the way, was it just me being deaf, or did he say Keyblades, in the plural?"

"He said Keyblades," Axel affirmed. "I figure you must be able to do Sora's trick."

Ciara gave Axel a puzzled look, then snapped her fingers. "Oh, right. Forms."

"Eh?"

"Valor Form, Wisdom Form, Master Form, Final Form, and occasionally Anti Form," Ciara recited, ticking off the forms on her finger. "His clothes change for each form, and I think they all wield two Keyblades." She thought for a moment. "Not 100 percent on Wisdom, though."

Axel was completely lost, and told Ciara so. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Ciara groaned. "Never mind," she said. "It would be way too difficult to explain."

Axel shrugged. "Hey, we're here."

They joined Merlin at a natural stone balcony, and followed his gaze to the scene below.

In the distance, the old, ruined castle stood silent and broken. There were cracks and rivers surrounding it, as if the Earth had tried to swallow the castle into its very depths.

Ciara couldn't understand what she was supposed to be looking at, until she heard Axel murmur, "Heartless…" beside her.

She suddenly, and with a lurch of her heart, realized that what she had taken for black water was actually thousands upon thousands of Heartless, swarming through the cracks.

"You'll need to visit that castle tomorrow, so you're going to spend today making a path," Merlin explained.

Axel stared at the wizard. "Are you out of your mind?" he demanded. "You seen how many Heartless there are down there?"

Merlin nodded. "Yes, I have indeed. And you will likely have to fight a few of them." He smiled, and reached into his sky-blue robes. "However, these should act as repellants, making your job at least a little easier."

He pulled out a small heart-shaped plaque, about the size of Axel's hand. It glowed a brilliant but soft white. "You'll need to place these along a path to the castle, preferably the quickest path there and back. You won't have time to fight your way there tomorrow morning, and in the afternoon – " Merlin shrugged. "Well, we'll see. Come back to the house when you're finished."

He handed Axel and Ciara each a small white bag, then spun on his heel – and promptly disappeared.

"On second thought," Axel muttered, "they'll get over him."

Ciara grinned impishly. "Mmm, barbeque'd wizard."

Axel gave a snort of laughter, then walked to the edge of the balcony. There was a flight of steps cut into it. The chasm they descended into seemed to head more or less to the castle. "Well, guess we'd better get started."

---

Axel and Ciara stared up at the castle looming before them.

"It looks even more depressing up close," Axel commented. He leaned against a stone wall. "Man, I feel like my arms are gonna fall off. I don't ever wanna see another Heartless. Hope those lights hold up." Axel glanced at Ciara, who was staring up at the castle. "You okay?"

"I've been here before."

Axel frowned. "You can't have been," he argued. "You said you'd never been to Radiant Garden."

"I know, but I've been _here_," Ciara repeated.

Axel continued to frown for a moment, then shrugged. "Okay, let's go in, then."

"But Merlin said we were going tomorrow. With Leon."

"Your point? After all, he didn't say anything about not going today. Ourselves."

Axel grinned wickedly. After a moment, Ciara returned the grin.

Together, they made their way inside.

The castle was eerily silent. As Axel and Ciara entered the front foyer, their footsteps echoed loudly.

"Okay," Axel commented warily, "now _I_ feel like I've been here, too."

"Organization XIII?" Ciara suggested.

Axel shook his head. "Only Demyx and Sup – uh – Xemnas have been here longer than a few minutes, and I think only Xemnas came inside the castle."

He turned towards Ciara – only to realize that Ciara wasn't with him.

She was walking towards a door that stood ajar.

"Ciara?" Axel called, his heart pounding in his chest, as fear gripped him.

When she didn't respond, he began to walk after her.

By the time she reached the door, panic had sent him into an all-out run. His heart screamed with fear. He couldn't let her go through, for reasons even his heart couldn't figure out.

"Ciara, stop!"

By the time he had reached her, she was already motionless on the courtyard cobblestones.

A moment later, Axel's world descended into hell.


End file.
